5 Things A Good Dog Owner Must Know

I am proud dog owner of two furballs who are incredibly adorable. But calling myself with that name doesn’t do the job. To be a good dog owner, I must follow some rules. I must take out time for my dogs. I must know the things that a dog owner must know.
While I am pretty sure there are many things that a good dog owner must have knowledge of, I have had these 5 things in my mind since months and that’s why I decided to share these with you. Read them if you love your pets.

1. Ticks can be deadly 

Ticks are something very standard with dogs, especially if you own a breed like German Shepherd. And it is tough to avoid them. Many suggest that you must not take your dog to the grass and all, but come on! Dogs need regular walks and making them walk on concrete, or hard floor can harm their paws and joints.

But at the same time, you must understand that those ticks can cause you dog to lose appetite, catch infections and many more diseases and if unchecked, lead to death. They must be take off your dog’s body as soon as you see them.

Here are some tips on how to tackle ticks. Start with buying a particular shampoo for tick treatment. Then make sure your dog has gone through regular deworming. If ticks still stay, buy a tick spray that is quite strong but capable. Spray the dog’s fur once and all ticks would go off. Then spray every time after your dog walks on the grass.

If it doesn’t seem dangerous to you, well, if ticks get into your house and stay, they grow and not all them like dog blood. They love human blood too and can make you their prey. Trust me! If you catch a fever because of ticks, it is going to be awful.

2. Be the alpha:

The reason my elder dog does whatever he wants, eats when he wants, poops when he wants and sits wherever he wants because no one in my house knew about this. I am lucky that Oscar is quite wise and doesn’t make a mess in the house. He barks and lets us know whenever he wants something but not all of us are that lucky.

Dogs are descendants of wolves. These animals love to live in packs and rely on alpha for telling them what to do. When you bring them to your house, your family becomes their pack. An alpha can be any member of your family who has a good command on the dog or the dog himself.

Don’t let the dog be alpha unless you want to follow his orders. Read more about and understand what kind of behavior makes you an alpha.

3. Analyze their stool regularly:

It is a dirty job. While in countries like America it isn’t that weird, this is very weird in India. No dog owner even wants to look at the poop. But if you wish to be a good dog owner, you must analyze the stool regularly. You don’t need to touch it.

Just a look at the color and consistency would tell if your dog is fine or if he is going through some trouble. Remember! A dog can’t tell you if he has a stomach ache or something, but you can try to help him with this simple process that you need to follow every single day.

4. Let him socialize:

One of the very reasons why I hate living in a city like Bathinda is that people here love to keep giant dogs but have no idea about how to take care of a dog. They just don’t believe in the concept of socialization. At least not the ones who live in my neighborhood.

Let your dog befriend other dogs in the colony (not strays). Let him play with other dogs and sit with them for a while. It not only makes them calm but also make them much happier.

5. Remember that they sense emotions:

I have an evil temper, and I do get into fights with my parents. Sometimes I shout and get infuriated. And both of the lovely babies I have at home just get sad. You can see the unhappiness on their faces when a fight happens.

A dog sense emotions. Any negative emotion that you show would affect them negatively. So, be careful with your feelings when your dog is around.

These are the things that I noticed that a good dog owner must know and follow. Let me know if you already follow these tips or not. Also, if there are any more things in your mind that you think are must-know for a good dog owner, let me know.